Though Jesus Loved Them

Our pastor spoke on John 11 this week, about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. The pastor said, early in the message that Mary, Martha and Lazarus were like family to Jesus. Closer than his own family of origin at times. Then he said, "Though Jesus loved them, he waited two days to go to them" after hearing Lazarus was very sick.

If you read the passage, I think you'll see that Jesus had an agenda. That agenda directed every decision including the one to wait.

I often wonder how to reconcile the love of Christ with suffering and sickness. I wonder why some experience a miraculous healing while others journey through debilitating sickness and death. If you think I found some revelation in this sermon to resolve my wondering, I am sorry to disappoint you. I still wonder.

"Though Jesus loved them, he waited."

The other part of the sermon that caught my attention was, "If we were to write the gospels ourselves, we would likely write this differently. We would have Jesus drop everything and go." I definitely would want to re-write it that way. I want the happy ending. I want the heroic Savior, swooping in to fix everything for those whom he loves.

Sometimes God's purposes are not our purposes. Sometimes His ways seem to stand in contrast to our understanding of His love, grace and compassion. But I have to cling to the love - Christ's love for Mary, Martha and Lazarus was clear and palpable, even if his actions seem, from our perspective, to be at odds with that love.

"Though Jesus loved them, he waited."

Are you asking Jesus to swoop in and save the day? Do you find that he seems to be waiting? Remember his love is constant, even in the waiting....